a couple of questions now that I have a 500mm tele...

Couldn't resist... lba struck.. again...
I picked up a classic Takumar 500mm 4.5 - at $160US I think I got a damn fine deal - how could I resist???
Anyways... I knew from the reviews... this thing is a beast... going to have some fun shooting eagles and other wildlife around our property
Any recommendations on a good tripod to match with something this big? It weighs close to 8 lbs.

Second... (don't laugh) I'm trying to figure out if a teleconverter would be useful for those shots where 500mm just isn't enough (shooting a hummingbird at 500 m? Will pretty much any TC work? any recommendations of one that would be best to mate with a classic Takumar tele?

I had one of those once and enjoyed it--it taught me a lot. As far as tripod is concerned, I'd recommend that you get one with a load rating about 2x the weight of the lens + camera.

A good TC will work ok. I used the AF 1.7x (but that required inserting aluminum foil between the lens and adapter--I'll let someone else explain) with pretty good results in good light. Otherwise (the 1.7x is expensive), go with a decent 1.4x. Also be prepared to deal with fringing in PP. Finally, be patient: it takes a while to get the hang of shooting with long lenses.

You should be able to use the A 1.4x-L rear converter, but can't be sure as I have a modified K-mount fitted to mine. The lens also has a very long minimum focus distance, but you can reduce that with some tube extensions.

Couldn't resist... lba struck.. again...
I picked up a classic Takumar 500mm 4.5 - at $160US I think I got a damn fine deal - how could I resist???
Anyways... I knew from the reviews... this thing is a beast... going to have some fun shooting eagles and other wildlife around our property
Any recommendations on a good tripod to match with something this big? It weighs close to 8 lbs.

Second... (don't laugh) I'm trying to figure out if a teleconverter would be useful for those shots where 500mm just isn't enough (shooting a hummingbird at 500 m? Will pretty much any TC work? any recommendations of one that would be best to mate with a classic Takumar tele?

Originally posted by SpecialK

You will now get recommendations for the $500+ tripod to go with that deal of a lens :-)